6. The Prophet’s supplication through the mediation of his own person and other prophets
According to an authentic tradition the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself prayed through the mediation of other prophets as well as of his own person. Following are the words of the tradition:
It is narrated by Anas bin Mālik. He said: When the mother of ‘Alī bin Abū Tālib — Fātimah bint Asad bin Hāshim — died, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) called on her and sat down by the head of the bed and said, “O dear mother, may Allah have mercy on you. After my mother, you were the one I regarded as my mother. When I was hungry you fed me to the point of saturation while you yourself remained hungry. Then you helped me put on clothes and instead of eating yourself, you gave me nice things to eat. You did all this for Allah’s pleasure and for a good reward in the Hereafter.” Then he (the Prophet) commanded to bathe her three times. When camphor water was brought, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) poured some water into his hands. Then Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) took off his shirt and clothed her with it and used his own sheet of cloth as her coffin. Then Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) sent for Usāmah bin Zayd, Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī and ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb and the negro slave to dig up the grave. So they dug her grave. When they reached near the lahd, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) dug it up and drew the soil out with his own hands. When he finished, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) entered and lay down in (the grave), and said, “It is Allah Who controls life and death, and He is Ever living and will never die. (O Allah,) forgive my mother—Fātimah bint Asad— and help her answer properly at the time of questioning and through the mediation of Your Prophet (Muhammad) and the former prophets, make her grave capacious. Surely You are infinitely Merciful.” Then he repeated, “God is Great” four times (i.e. led the funeral prayer). Then he, ‘Abbās and Abū Bakr as-Siddīq lowered her into the grave.[24]
[24]. Tabarānī related it in al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (24:351-2#871) and al-Mu‘jam-ul-awsat (1:152-3#191) and its men are those of sound hadith except Rawh bin Salāh who is da‘īf (weak), while Ibn Hibbān and Hākim declared him thiqah (trustworthy). Haythamī also cites it in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (9:256-7); Ibn-ul-Jawzī in al-‘Ilal-ul-mutanāhiyyah (1:268-9#433); Abū Nu‘aym in Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-asfiyā’ (3:121); and Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh graded it hasan (fair) in his Raf‘-ul-minārah (pp.147-8).
It is narrated by Anas bin Mālik. He said: When the mother of ‘Alī bin Abū Tālib — Fātimah bint Asad bin Hāshim — died, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) called on her and sat down by the head of the bed and said, “O dear mother, may Allah have mercy on you. After my mother, you were the one I regarded as my mother. When I was hungry you fed me to the point of saturation while you yourself remained hungry. Then you helped me put on clothes and instead of eating yourself, you gave me nice things to eat. You did all this for Allah’s pleasure and for a good reward in the Hereafter.” Then he (the Prophet) commanded to bathe her three times. When camphor water was brought, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) poured some water into his hands. Then Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) took off his shirt and clothed her with it and used his own sheet of cloth as her coffin. Then Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) sent for Usāmah bin Zayd, Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī and ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb and the negro slave to dig up the grave. So they dug her grave. When they reached near the lahd, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) dug it up and drew the soil out with his own hands. When he finished, Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) entered and lay down in (the grave), and said, “It is Allah Who controls life and death, and He is Ever living and will never die. (O Allah,) forgive my mother—Fātimah bint Asad— and help her answer properly at the time of questioning and through the mediation of Your Prophet (Muhammad) and the former prophets, make her grave capacious. Surely You are infinitely Merciful.” Then he repeated, “God is Great” four times (i.e. led the funeral prayer). Then he, ‘Abbās and Abū Bakr as-Siddīq lowered her into the grave.[24]
[24]. Tabarānī related it in al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (24:351-2#871) and al-Mu‘jam-ul-awsat (1:152-3#191) and its men are those of sound hadith except Rawh bin Salāh who is da‘īf (weak), while Ibn Hibbān and Hākim declared him thiqah (trustworthy). Haythamī also cites it in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (9:256-7); Ibn-ul-Jawzī in al-‘Ilal-ul-mutanāhiyyah (1:268-9#433); Abū Nu‘aym in Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-asfiyā’ (3:121); and Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh graded it hasan (fair) in his Raf‘-ul-minārah (pp.147-8).